1. Field of the Disclosure
In one aspect, this disclosure generally relates methods and apparatuses for sensing displacement optically.
2. Background of the Art
Displacement sensors, such as microphones and pressure sensors, are well-known. Many displacement sensors may be based on one or more of electrical capacitance, electrical impedance, or magnetic fields. These electrical and magnetic based displacement sensors may be limited due to one or more of: low sensitivity, the need for high-voltage biasing, poor electrical isolation, environmental factors, and response nonlinearities. These limitations may require a close coupling between transducer design and the sensor mechanical design, which may limit performance and the operational size of the displacement sensor. Optical displacement sensors may be electrically and magnetically insensitive, which may mitigate limitations found in electrical and magnetic based displacement sensors. The present disclosure uses optical displacement to address the need to minimize the impact of these limitations on the performance or structure of devices.